Suspender-connection



(No Model.)

F. B. BROWN.

SUSPENDER CONNECTION.

N0.356,444. I Patented Jan.25,1887.

III in N. PETERS. Pham-Ulhog'rlphar. Wmhingion. D. c.

Nrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

F. BARTON BROWN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SUSPENDER-CONNECTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,444, dated January25, 1887. Application filed September 25, 1886. Serial No. 214,529. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, F. BARTON BROWN, of Boston, county of Suffolk, andState of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inSuspender-Connections, of which the following description, in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, is a specification,'like letters on thedrawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to suspenders or shoulder-braces, and has for itsobject to provide a novel and an improved connection between the mainstraps and end pieces to be buttoned to the trousers.

Figure 1 in elevation shows a sufficient portion of asuspender providedwith my improved connection to enable my invention to be understood;Fig. 2, a detail to .be referred to; Fig. 3, a central longitudinalsection through one of the spring-connections to show the constructionof the same, the spring being omit- I ted; Fig. 4, a section of Fig. 3on line as w.

The main or shoulder straps A, only one of which is shown, and which maybe of any usual web or material, are herein shown as provided with abuckle or slide, a, to which an end piece is attached.

Each end piece is composed of two parts, a a, of web or other usual orsuitable material, the said parts being connected with the lower bar ofa wire or other loop, B. The loop B is formed of a single wire, 6, bentor twisted to form loops b N, the ends of the said wire being solderedor otherwise united to form the bar over which the parts a a of the endpiece are passed, as shown in Fig. 1. Each loop I) b, with its openingsubstantially atright angles to the opening receiving the parts a a,

- is engaged with a bent wire or rod, b the arms I) b of which areextended through substantially diametrical openings in the head of acap, plate, or shell, I), and through corresponding openings in the headof a similar cap, plate, or shell, I), inverted, the ends of the saidarms being bent over upon or riveted or headed outside the head of thecap, plate, or shell-b to prevent the arms being drawn through saidopenings.

The arms a c of a second bent rod or wire, 0 of like construction as thewire or rod b is extended through other openings in the head of the capor shell b and also the cap I),

the said openings being substantially at right over upon or headed orriveted outside the head of the cap or shell I). I

The arms of the rods or wires b c are encircled for the greater part oftheir length by a spiral spring, (I, one end of which extends into thecap, plate, or shell I) and bears against its head, while the other endextends into and bears against the head of the cap, plate, or shell I),the said spring normally being uncompressed, and keeping the caps,plates, or shells apart. Each wire or rod 0" at its curved or bent partoutside the cap 2) is engaged, as herein shown, with an eye, d of a wireor other loop or ring, (2. The wire or other loop (1 is also bent toform a large eye or ring, cl, to enable the said loop to be engaged witha buckle, a, or to be connected in the usual manner to a part secured tothe web to extend over the shoulder.

The spiral springs d normally keep the caps,

plates, or shells at their farthest distance apart, but when thesuspender is subjected to strain and lengthened, as by pulling upon theend pieces or by a change of position of the body of the wearer, thesaid caps are made to approach each other, the spring 11 being at suchtime compressed, but when the force exerted to bring the said caps orshells together is released or relaxed the springs (I tend to againseparate the caps or shells-*that is, restore them to their normalposition.

As the caps or shells are brought toward each other the cap b slidesupon the arms b* b of the wire I), while the cap 1) slides upon the armsa c of the wire 0 By connecting the wires b to the loops 1) and thewires 0 c to the loops (1* and shaping or locating the eyes of the saidloops as shown, the said wires are enabled to constitute, as it were, auniversal joint.

I do not desire to limit my spring-connection to any particular kind ofsuspender, as it is equally applicable to all kinds. It is also evidentmy invention may be used at the back as well as at the front of thesuspender;

I have herein shown the end pieces joined to the shoulder-straps by twospring-connections, but it is evident that a single connection may beused; but two connections are preferred.

I do not desire to limit my invention to the employment of wire for theloops or rings B and d, as I might use sheet metal.

I claim- 1. A spring-connection for suspenders, consisting of two setsor pairs of bent wires, and two caps or shells for each set or pair, andthrough which the bent wires are extended, as described, a wire or rodprovided with a loop to connect one wire of each set or pair to the endpieces, and a second wire or rod provided with a loop to connect theother wire of each set or pair to the shoulder-strap, combined with aspring encircling said wires and normally keeping said caps or shellsapart, but adapted to be compressed when the caps or shells are made toapproach each other as the suspender is lengthened, substantially asdescribed.

2. A spring-connection for suspenders, it consisting of a wire loophaving a large eye for the reception of the end pieces, a a, and smalleyes b b, a wire loop having small eyes at and an eye for connectionwith the web to be extended over the shoulder, two sets or pairs of bentwires, 0 b, caps, plates, or shells through holes in which the saidwires are extended, as shown, and the springs d,interposed between thesaid caps, plates, or shells, all substantially as described,wherebystrain upon the suspenders to elongate them compresses the said springs,as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

F. BARTON BROWN.

\Vitnesses:

G. W. GREGORY, F. CUTTER.

